I run into women all the time who lament that they had a baby three months (or even three years) ago and they are not happy with how their body looks and feels afterwards. I have a lot to say, and hopefully can offer some good advice on how to get back to where you would like to be in terms of your health and fitness regardless of your age, shape or how long it has been since the birth of your last child.. But the first thing I have to say is that you really should do the hard work beforehand. Not only is there evidence that shows that exercise has a beneficial effect on a babies birth weight (1), it can result in "shorter labor, fewer medical interventions, and less exhaustion during labor" (2). Of course I did all the normal things you are supposed to do. I stopped my nightly glass of wine (arrrrgh!) not pleasant; I took all my prenatal vitamins; I was already eating healthy but I ramped it up a notch further adding all kinds of different greens and healthy grains and beans on a daily basis; I cut down on my occasional cheeseburgers and frozen yogurts and I watched my weight. And here's the thing and I am going to make it a small rant because I think there is a misconception - yes, even personal trainers have to watch their weight. It isn't like because I work out on a daily basis I can eat anything I want. I wish that were the case. But by keeping my weight at a normal level for my pregnancy I had fewer issues afterward. At least - weight and fat wise. I'll share more on other issues later.
1) "The study [published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism] shows that moderate, regular exercise can have a meaningful effect on a baby's birth weight without putting the pregnancy or child at risk". - quoted from an article by Tara Parker-Pope in the New York Times, April 5, 2010
2) American Pregnancy Association (americanpregnancy.org)
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